So at a recent meeting of the local Hash House Harriers, a friend mentioned that I have bad running technique, and offered to give me his copy of Chi Running. I’m in general open to the idea of working on my technique–I have my share of running aches and pains, not to mention a few injuries lately. And hey, free book. On the other hand, I’m pretty woo-intolerant; if this book is going to focus on “harnessing my chi”, it’s not going to go well.
The other big name in the running technique world, so far as I know, is Pose Running, which appears to have been developed by a no-nonsense Russian running coach. It’s noticably less free, though.
Have dopers had any experience with either of these systems (or others I’ve not heard about)? I’d like to get an idea of what I’m getting into with either so that I can make an informed decision.
Can you post a video of your form?
Running form is not one size fits all. Your structure, muscle strength, range of motion all combine in a unique form for each person.
There are certain elements that are inherent to efficient form and there are drills to work on those.
Hi Pat, I’d like to try and find a coach for my daughter this summer, specifically to work with her on technique. Can you recommend a good place to find a running technique coach?
Local middle school, high school or college coach would be first choice though not all are knowledgeable on form. A local running club might have resources.
Why do you feel she needs work on her form? Depending on her age, her form can change drastically as she grows.
When you are running, pretend there is a string attached to the top of your head, and that God (or whoever) is pulling up on the string. In other words, use your back muscles to point your head up toward the sky.
Lean slightly forward while running.
When your foot hits the ground, do not land on your toes, and do not land on your heals. You should land more-or-less flatfooted.
When running, your feet should not land “hard” on the ground. They should just “kiss” the ground, and make very little noise when hitting the ground.
Your legs should move as if you were pedaling a bicycle.
While #3 makes sense, I really wouldn’t worry about it too much. A lot (most) of great distance runners are heel strikers. The whole foot strike debate, to me, seems silly. Everyone is different. While I wouldnt try to throw my feet too far in front of me for an exaggerated heel strike, I wouldn’t necessarily think mid-heel works for everyone.
I agree, there is a lot of debate on the issue. I guess my suggestion is to start off landing flatfooted, and then if it is uncomfortable or seems awkward, move the point-of-impact toward the toes or heel.
Yeah. It’s tricky. I guess I would say to try to keep your center of gravity over you, and wherever your feet land, they land. You shouldn’t be too one way or the other if you try to keep “over your feet.” Sprinters tend to keep their weight more forward; distance runners tend to keep a little more back (and thus foot strike tends to go more towards the toes for sprinters, and more towards the heel for endurance runners.) I would think that going towards either extreme would be a problem.
I would also avoid the Chi and Pose things, as I think that they are woo. A running friend tried the Pose technique at the urging of a friend and promptly ended up injured.
Unless a coach is there a lot of time, changing running form is potentially a recipe for injury. A start may be to go to a local specialty running store, and talk to them. A lot of them have some sort of form analysis capability, whether an onsite treadmill or a pressure pad, that can give direction. Or a change of shoe may be beneficial.
I agree with the drills that Runner Pat posted, and you may also want to consider core strengthening exercises. Oftentimes, bad running form is a result of a weak group of core muscles. Two time US marathon Olympian, Pete Pfitzinger has some good recommendations on core work here.
The landing “quiet” thing is something I’ve heard before. In practice, some days I do, and everything just seems effortless–I barely feel each strike. Some days it’s the complete opposite. I’ve never been able to put my finger on what made the difference.
Chi and Pose are not woo, but you have to do them properly. They are a different style of running than you are typically used to. It is a very good idea to have a coach. It will feel strange at first and a coach will be able to guide you into correct form.
One advantage of Chi and Pose is that it avoids the leg-straight heel-first landing. Chi and Pose are about comfortable, smooth, pain-free running.
I strongly recommend you get a coach instead of a book. You want someone who can give you specific feedback as you are running. It’s more difficult to read something in a book and then try to mimic that movement.
Her high school coach, both track and cross country, is more of a manager than a coach. He runs workouts, but doesn’t really work with them on form.
IMO, and I could be way off, she needs to work on lengthening her stride. A good coach, I imagine, could confirm that or tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about.
She only got into running later in high school (last year). She’s going into her senior year. Cross Country is a fall sport (they train during the Florida summer, lucky kids) and track is spring.
Don’t worry about trying to force a longer stride. That leads to overstriding.
Stride length will increase as her aerobic condition and power continues to improve.
The drills I linked to upthread will help a great deal as they focus on hip drive, leg power(in particular the lower leg and ankle/foot) and minimizing contact time with the ground.
If you want to take a video of her running, I’ll be glad to check if she needs any corrections.
